This invention relates generally to apparatus for use in connection with pools and particularly to apparatus which provides aesthetic enhancement of pools using fountains and decorative lights. While the present invention apparatus may be used in virtually any pool, it is particularly advantageous and particularly directed toward use in swimming pools.
Swimming pools provide substantial relaxation and enjoyment as well as healthful exercise and activity. In addition, swimming pools also provides aesthetic enhancement of their environments. This is particularly true of swimming pools used in residential situations such as single family homes and apartment or condominium complexes. In many instances, homeowner""s in the process of landscaping and planning their backyards and patio areas virtually center the decoration and landscaping about the swimming pool. In response to the consumer sensitivity to the aesthetic qualities of swimming pools, practitioner""s in the pool arts have brought forth various attractive features to enhance the appeal of their respective swimming pool products. These features have included attractive shapes of the pools themselves as well as attractive cooperating patio and sidewalk materials. In addition, practitioners have provided various decorative lights and water flow features such as water falls or the like in designing and constructing swimming pools. In some instances these water fall features have been further enhanced by fountain apparatus. In a typical swimming pool fountain apparatus, one or more fountain nozzles are supported in the pool area or within the pool itself and are coupled to the high pressure side of the water filtration and circulation pump system.
Despite the attractiveness of fountains and other features in swimming pools, the relatively high-cost and need for installation during pool construction has greatly limited the number of swimming pools having such apparatus.
In response to the continuing need and desire on the part of swimming pool owners for aseptic features such as fountains or the like, practitioner""s in the pool arts have provided a variety of swimming pool fountain devices which are capable of installation in swimming pools after construction. Typically, these swimming pool fountain devices utilize a floating unit supporting a plurality of lights and fountain nozzles. The floating unit is further coupled to the high pressure portion of the pool filter pump system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,880 issued to Walsh sets forth a DECORATIVE FOUNTAIN especially adapted for use in a swimming pool. The fountain is adapted to float at the surface of the pool and incorporates a sealed beam light bulb for illumination of the fountain display. A self contained source of electric current for the light bulb is also supported within the floating unit. The fountain portion is coupled to the high pressure portion of the swimming pool filter pump system by a flexible hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,420 issued to Tompson sets forth a PORTABLE FOUNTAIN FOR POOLS OR SPAS having a pedestal supporting an upright tube within the pedestal which in turn supports an upwardly directed nozzle. The lower end of the tube is coupled to a flexible hose which in turn in coupled to the high pressure side of the swimming pool filter system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,117 issued to Evans sets forth an ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION OF ORNAMENTAL WATER FOUNTAINS WITH COLOR BLENDING IN RESPONSE TO MUSICAL TONE VARIATIONS in which three sets of lamps in different colors are independently controlled during the playing of the musical number. The response of the lamps produces a multitude of different colors reflected by the fountain in response to the amplitude and frequency of the musical tones.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,465 issued to Sargent sets forth a FLOATING FOUNTAIN DEVICE for use in a swimming pool having a fountainhead to create a water fountain and a lamp and generator to illuminate the fountain. The generator is sealed within an envelope and driven by a water turbine through a magnetic coupling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,379 issued to Cramer sets forth a LOW PROFILE FOUNTAIN having a submersible motor and pump secured to a frame to provide a relatively low profile. The pump motor is supported at the front end of the frame and extends generally horizontally. The pump is secured to the frame in front of the motor and includes an impeller mounted in a first pump chamber to draw water into the pump chamber and direct water upwardly through a plurality of fountain heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,726 issued to Dimitri sets forth a SOLAR ENERGY POWERED WATER FOUNTAIN having a submersible pump within a water filled container and a solar panel. The solar panel is removably connected in an electrical circuit relationship with the pump for controlling pump operation. The amount of water discharged from the pump and the display patterns produced by the pump are directly responsive to variations in light level at the solar panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,506 issued to Ryan sets forth a SWIMMING POOL FOUNTAIN configured for installation within a swimming pool, spa, hot tub or the like. The fountain is secured to high pressure side of the filtration system and may include discharge apparatus having shapes such as animals or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,880 issued to Rhuby, Jr. sets forth a FLOATING FOUNTAIN having a submerged vertical support coupled to the high pressure side of the pool filter system pump at its lowered end and supporting a generally oval water flow conduit at its upper end. A fountain nozzle is supported upon the upper end of the fluid conduit together with a pair of floats and a plurality of upwardly directed lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,317 issued to Rhuby, Jr. sets forth ILLUMINATED WATER FOUNTAINS having a submerged support base further supporting an upwardly directed fountain nozzle. The base also supports a plurality of upwardly directed lights.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, they remain subject to substantial limitations in their attractiveness of use. Most particularly, there need to couple to the high pressure side of the swimming pool filter system and in some instances, electrical connection to external electrical power sources places undesired hoses and/or wires upon the pool bottom surfaces. With the prevalent use of cleaning apparatus such as automated pool cleaners, these coupling hoses and/or electrical wires become extremely undesirable. In essence, the pool owner is not able to operate a conventional automated pool cleaner without removing the fountain device and its coupling structure. In most houses having a swimming pool, the filtration pump is located a short distance from the pool. Thus, the pump sound can be heard around the pool area. This makes the existing fountains which use the pump for water flow undesirable. There remains therefore a need in the art for evermore improved and effective pool fountain apparatus.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved pool fountain apparatus. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved pool fountain apparatus which accommodates the use of automated pool cleaners. It a still more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved pool fountain apparatus which avoid the need for coupling to the filtration system and/or sources of electrical power through the use of coupling hoses and electrical wires.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided for use in a pool of water, a floating pool fountain and light device comprising: a buoyant housing having an upper surface and interior cavity; a plurality of fountain nozzles directed generally upwardly; a plurality of light-sources projecting generally upwardly; a first battery-powered pump producing a first water flow coupled to the fountain nozzles for producing a generally upwardly directed spray; a remote control unit producing control signals; a second battery-powered pump producing a second water flow; a rotation jet coupled to the second battery-powered pump producing a thrust tending to rotate the floating fountain and light device; and a controller supported by the housing receiving the control signals and selectively receiving the control signals and selectively activating the first battery-powered pump, the second battery-powered pump and the light sources in response to the control signals. From an alternate perspective, the present invention provides for use in a pool of water, a floating pool fountain and light device comprising: a buoyant housing having an upper surface and interior cavity; at least one generally upwardly directed battery-powered fountain producing fountain spray; at least one light source directed to illuminate the fountain spray; and an automatic spacing mechanism having a plurality of directional water jets directed generally outwardly from the housing, a plurality of sensors for sensing proximity of the pool fountain and light device to a pool edge or object, and a plurality of water jet actuators each responsive to one of the sensors, the sensors, the actuators and the water jets cooperating to automatically maintain a distance between the floating pool fountain and light device and a pool edge or object.